Tennis – The Marketing Power Of Tennis Players

I am a huge fan of tennis and I have been watching it for years, mainly Wimbledon, Australian Open and the Barcelona Open. One of the main reasons I love it is seeing the mental power tennis player have on the court. It is not only skill you need to be able to stay mentally strong for the whole game. It’s one of the most televised sports out there and has good pay in prize money, especially the big tournaments like Grands Slams and the final tournament of the season between the top 8.

It has from the onset created a prestigious impeccable message, that world champion tennis players are marketable. You never historically see a tennis player losing that much control that it hits the news. If it does in the world of tennis where a player is out of control, it is mainly to do with either their outbursts on court. It is very rare that we get some swearing, John McEnroe, Greg Rusedski & Serena Williams come to mind. Occasional tennis we get smashing episodes either at the net or on the service. The most exhilarating of them all is the umpire versus the player dynamics. When the umpire has called a wrong call. Even that is tamed behavior if we compare it to other top sporting events. It is this this composure, the single individual and of course the money on sportswear that makes tennis super marketable.

Fashion Marketing On The Court

In a recent article they talked about the odds of who is expected to win the French Open. The ironic thing is that did you know that tennis players make more money off the court than on the court. Historically Maria Sharapova negotiated one of the highest off court marketing deals with Nike, she renewed her contract for 8 years in 2010 for a staggering $70 million (£42 million).

Let’s have a look at the unbeatable Williams sisters who have dominated the tennis courts for decades. Anything they do, say within the tennis arena belongs to them and them alone. If we look at Rafael Nadal who is the greatest clay court player of all time. Now recent injuries are currently showing us that on the court the Spaniard is struggling so it’s a good thing that off court his marketing power is as impressive as his back hand. Recently speaking with famous poker player Jan Heitmann, I found out that Nadal has been chosen to represent online poker. What are the odds in him agreeing to this?

Tennis sponsorship is expected to hit $739 million in 2014, according to IEG, with Federer securing the largest slice. His endorsement portfolio includes brands like Nike, Wilson, Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Gilette and Moet 7 Chandon. This adds $40 million on top of his prize earnings. Federer’s good health and strong performances has kept him playing deep into tournaments for 10 years in a row. He is as reliable as the watches of his sponsor Rolex.

Roger Federer Versus Nadal

I have watched Roger for years and the for me his composure on court is mind blowing. When he wins he is just adorable. I recall the epic Wimbledon final in 2o08 between him and Nadal. Nadal is at his fourth championship point and Nadal finally wins the match after nearly five hours of play. It’s these moments in sporting history you truly realize that sport stars are the most complicated species mentally. This match was an example of mental power alone. Let’s face it their fitness, skill were equal throughout the game. It’s why it took so long to complete the championship. For me it was just that moment as we all know too well in the game of tennis. That if you mentally have a laps it will cost you the game. Tennis fever is back with Roland Garros coming and who is going to be our 2015 champions. For me I have no idea and that truly is the fun of it all this season.